Sounds of Summer
Ahh. At last we’ve reached the dog days of summer. The sun is hot, the flowers are in full boom and for most, school is now a distant memory. Today, I want to take you on a tour of songs that highlight some of the essentials of summer. From the busy, buzzy bees in your backyard, to the friends you greet, to the wide world around you, these songs capture moments that create memories for a lifetime.
Our first stop is the backyard. In the early evening when I water the flowers in the beds in my yard, my Veronica tidal pool plants are literally abuzz with bees drinking their fill before bopping along to try out the bells of the nearby blooming hostas. This always makes me think of “Bees Are Pollinators” by Esther Crow. This jazzy number reminds us of all the ways the bees help us, as celebrated by Esther’s adorable bee puppets.
For our next stop, grab your bike and get ready to go for a ride “In the Neighborhood.” This joyful pop tune from Kymberly Stewart and A Trillion Skies will have grown-ups fondly remembering those carefree days cruising around the neighborhood, while kids new to the idea will be clamoring to get outside and give it a try.
The final stop on our tour isn’t a particular destination, it’s anywhere in the world you want to go. As you’re taking those road trips and going on those vacations, take some time to appreciate the wonders of nature all around you. From the city to the country, there is always something to observe. While you’re traveling enjoy “Funk the Planet,” a hip hop tune from Doctor Noize that will have kids rapping along as they learn about conserving this place we call home.
To kick things off, here is “
From defending the Earth to celebrating the Earth, next up is the third album from St. Louis’s own 
Finally, here is a 
As a child, whenever I heard adults use the phrase, “where does the time go?” I always thought, “I don’t know where it goes, but it sure goes slow.” Now, as an adult, I too wonder where the time goes, and why it goes so quickly. It feels like Halloween was just yesterday yet the first day of 2025 is only two weeks away. I had every intention of writing several posts over the course of the past month highlighting various new holiday songs, but alas, best laid plans and all. Instead, here is one bigger post to celebrate the sounds of Christmas. 
I have been looking forward to Esther Crow’s new album Listen Lead Love ever since she debuted the singles “
Esther Crow brings audiences another Earth conscious video in “Christmas Socks (Recycle, Reuse, Repurpose),” her follow up to October’s “Homemade Halloween.” This time around, Esther and her sock puppet friends encourage viewers to explore ways to repurpose items like jam jars, coffee tins, and wrapping paper into gifts and decorations. Esther never shies away from her message, but wraps it in a fun melody with a 1950’s flair (featuring a kazoo solo!!) that will have listeners chanting “recycle, reuse, repurpose!”
As a child of the 80s, I grew up having a great appreciation for homemade costumes. My mom was incredibly creative (If you showed her an egg carton, she came up with half a dozen uses for it. Show me an egg carton, I see an egg carton.) – she could knit, crochet, paint ceramics, and most importantly, sew. Whether it was a new blouse or dress, doll clothes, or holiday decor, she could do it all. And when it came to Halloween, my mom’s creativity and skill really got a chance to shine.
It’s Earth Day! Celebrate this rock we call home with a new, high-octane tune from Esther Crow. Disheartened by ever-growing landfills that contribute to the climate crisis and inspired by purging some of her own “stuff,” Esther wrote this song to encourage families to be greener and consider donating items they no longer want rather than tossing them in the trash. Produced by Dean Jones, this call-and-response rock song which features Esther’s eight-year-old son on mandolin and violin, gets the message across in a gloriously frenetic way. After jamming along, listeners will surely be left with the desire to take a good hard look at all their “stuff.” 
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